In most countries, citizens have the right to freedom of speech, and it’s usually written clearly in the constitution.
Take Nigeria, for example—our Constitution, in Section 39, guarantees the right to free speech as part of our fundamental human rights. This means that every bonafide member of the country has the right to speak up, share their opinions, and be heard. But here’s the real question: Can this right actually be taken from us? Can we really be stopped from saying what’s on our minds?
The law says we have the freedom to express ourselves, but it also tells us there are limits—like not spreading hate speech or defaming others. So yes, we can speak our minds, but we need to be mindful of how we say things.
Look at social media today—people are always quick to call others out and accuse them fasely without any proof. And when they face legal trouble or land in jail, they act surprised. But the truth is, you can’t just say whatever you want without facing the consequences and an example of this is the case of verydarkman that @justfavour mentioned in this write-up.
Now, technically speaking, our right to free speech can’t be completely taken away. But then, it feels like we’re being silenced more and more. Why?
In Nigeria right now, life is tough—the cost of goods and services keeps rising, things are getting harder by the day, and most people are just frustrated and tired.
I believe there are plenty things that needs to be said but we are just afraid to say it out loud and i actually do get it. I mean why bother, when nothing seems to change? The worst thing is that people fear that speaking out could land them in trouble with the government authorities.
I honestly believe our freedom of speech is under threat, not because the law has changed, but because people are scared of the repercussions. Look at what happened during the **EndSARS protests in October 2020. Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets to speak out against police brutality, and it ended in tragedy— several lives were lost, and so many things was destroyed. Since then, many of us, including myself, have hesitated to speak up or protest. I didn’t join the recent protests, not because I didn’t care, but because I was afraid—afraid of being hurt, arrested, or even worse by this so-called police in black uniforms. The violence of that time has silenced so many of us up till today.
We are under a democratic system but then it is actually starting to feel more like we’re back in the days of military rule, where speaking up against the government was a serious risk.
Back then, only a few people dared to speak out. One of those brave souls was Fela Kuti, a musician and activist who used his music to criticize the government. He was arrested repeatedly for speaking out but then, he never gave up.
I wish we had more people like Fela today—people willing to stand up and fight for the rights of the people.
But let’s be honest: no one wants to end up behind bars, or worse, for challenging the government. And I get that—it’s a scary thing to think about. There was even someone who also expressed himself and tried to use his voice and platform to seek for justice and right of the people in the country and that was "Mr Macaroni". He actually tried his best but then he was arrested and detained for some period of time.
Is Fear Silencing Us?
Here’s the thing: fear has become the most powerful tool for silencing free speech. It’s not that our right to speak has been officially taken away; but it’s just that the environment we live in makes it hard to speak up without feeling scared. When people are afraid to express themselves, it’s as if that right has been taken away, even if no law says so. Fear alone is enough to silence us.
In conclusion, even though our legal right to free speech is still there, fear, intimidation, and government pressure has created a situation whereby many of us feel like we can’t speak freely. When we’re too scared to say what’s on our minds, it’s as though our freedom has already been taken away from us. If we’re going to reclaim our voices, we need to push for a society where we can speak up and say our minds without being punished for it. Until then, many of us will continue to live in silence, knowing fully well that even though the law says we have the right to speak, the reality of the situation says otherwise.
First image was gotten through meta Ai.